Rising Star
by Jestus the Strange
Summary: Every once in awhile, a star blazes across the night sky, setting everything in a brilliant halo of heavenly light. That's what he was for me, my rising star. The very reason that my nonexistent heart beat. Pending Cancellation
1. Preface

Hello everybody! My name is Heavenly Fox or HF to my friends, and this is my first Twilight fanfic, so bear with me. This story is intended for mature audiences and will have scenes of sexual activity, so if you are under eighteen don't read the following chapters (will be posted when they're done). I can't stress the importance of this rule enough because I don't want someone's parents to read it and send me a review questioning my integrity or something else to that effect. That being said, thank you for your time and enjoy the story .

I neve believed in love at first sight. That sort of thing only happens in the movies and fairy tales, or so I thought. Essentialy, being a vampire means that my existence shouldn't be, but I'm 'alive', so to speak. When I met _him, _though, love at first sight didn't seem all that impossible. He was something else, a special person in his own right and I miss him every day.


	2. Chapter 1: Emotions

**HF here again. Sorry I haven't posted on "Rising Star" for awhile. Been busy with odd jobs for family members and trying to beat Final Fantasy XII. Again I'm sorry if I inconvenienced anyone whose read the preface by not following up with the story, but chapter one is up and chapter 2 will soon follow (again probably in a week or two) Enjoy**!!

I stifled a huge yawn with the backside of my hand and lay my head down on my arm so no one would be able to see the dark color of my eyes. It'd been a few weeks since the last time I had hunted and I was beginning to revert back to my old ways. It was hard enough to ignore the alluring scent of the blood around me, but I had to in order to keep from exposing the family that took me in a few months ago. I heard the constant buzz of high school chatter die down and looked up to see the teacher, Mr. Varner, standing at the head of the classroom with a student I hadn't seen before. Mr. Varner gestured with his hand towards the new kid and said,

"Class, this is Zane Tylers. I'd like you to welcome him with open arms and help him adjust. Zane, take the seat next to Dawn over in the corner."

I groaned internally as Zane walked over to the seat next to me and sat down forcefully, making the chair scrape loudly against the floor. Mr. Varner turned his back onto the class and started to drone on about calculus, causing most of the kids to groan and try to go to sleep. I felt Zane nudge my shoulder, but ignored it, trying to keep myself from feeding on him right then and there. He nudged my shoulder again, so I did what I usually do when I don't want to be bothered and glared icily at the eighteen year. He just looked back at me with an indifferent stare with his emerald green eyes and asked if he could borrow a pencil. I passed my pencil over to him and put my head back onto my crossed arms, feigning sleep so he wouldn't bother me.

Truth be told, the scent he gave off was driving me crazy and I finally understood what Edward meant when he said that Bella's scent was irresistible to him. I fought against the overwhelming urge to sink my teeth into his neck to drink the sweet blood from him and resigned to excusing myself from the situation. I picked up my backpack and slung it over my shoulder before walking up to the classroom door and pulled the bathroom pass off of the hook next to it and excusing myself to go to the bathroom. I wandered around the halls of Forks High, listening to the different conversations that came out of the classrooms and found myself outside in the school parking lot next to my Skyline in a matter of seconds.

I took a quick look around before taking the keys out of my pocket and unlocking the door, feeling relief flood over me as I closed the door and was enveloped in a comforting semi-darkness that came from the tinted windows I had put in a couple of days ago. I leaned my head back against the headrest and turned on the CD player so I could drown out the thoughts that seemed to be racing through my head at the moment.

"Why can't I get Zane out of my head? He's just a human. He shouldn't be affecting me this much. Edward told me how Bella affects him and now I've found someone who does the same thing to me. This is just terrific, now Alice is gonna have a field day with this one."

I sat in my car till the end of school, seeing as Calculus was the last class I had, listening to some music to a band named Dream Theater, trying to keep Zane out of my thoughts. I was mulling over the possible hunting spots I could go to tonight when I heard someone tapping on the glass of the passenger side window. I looked over and saw that it was Zane, the one person I didn't want to see at the moment. I rolled down the window and stared out at him with an emotionless expression on my face, wondering what he could want with me.

"What is it, Zane?" I asked as the song changed from As I Am to Octavarium. Zane smiled in my direction as he held up the pencil that I had given him in Calculus and hummed the tune to the song.

"I didn't know you listened to Dream Theater, Dawn. They're one of my favorite bands. Anyway, you left your pencil in class and since you didn't come back for it, I decided to give it back to you."

He dropped the pencil onto the passenger seat and smiled at me again before putting up the hood on his jacket and walking off to his car, still humming the tune to Octavarium. I rolled the window up and started the engine, the sound of it roaring to life sounding better than any song at the moment. I shifted into reverse and backed out of the parking spot I was in, shaking my head at the awed faces that some of the boys made when they saw my car. I waited in line to get out of the parking lot and changed the CD to Hypnotize by System of a Down, wondering why Zane bothered to give me back my pencil. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw that Zane was head banging to something that sounded close to One by Metallica in his blue 350Z. I shook my head in amusement this time at his antics and shifted into drive when I got to the parking lot exit, giggling when I saw that he had added an air-guitar routine to the song. I took a left and drove towards the Cullen mansion in high spirits in spite of my crippling thirst. I wanted to pursue a friendship with Zane, but somehow I knew that it would eventually turn into something more than that and I hoped I was ready for something like that.

**A/N:**I don't own any of the Twilight books, but I do own Dawn Clearsh and Zane Tylers. Remember, send me all kinds of reviews and be as brutal as possible, I'm a big boy and I can take what you critics can dish out. If there is anything I need to improve on, don't hesitate to tell me.


	3. Chapter 2: Struggle

HF here again

**HF here again. Sorry I haven't posted on "Rising Star" for a while. Been busy with odd jobs for family members and trying to beat Final Fantasy XII. Again I'm sorry if I inconvenienced anyone whose read the preface by not following up with the story, but chapter one is up and chapter 2 will soon follow (again probably in a week or two) Enjoy**!!

I drove up to an intersection on the way to I-5 and slowed to a stop, trying to get Zane out of my mind. I ejected the CD and grabbed the CD case from off of the floor in front of the passenger seat. I flipped through the pages and slid the CD Phobia by the band Breaking Benjamin into the player before raising the volume to near deafening levels to keep my thoughts off of Zane, knowing that Alice would know something about my future by the time I got home. Luckily, it was Friday and I didn't have to be home till Sunday, so I decided to head up to the Olympic Peninsula to grab a hotel room and go hunting for the weekend. I heard an engine revving up to the right side of my car and turned to see a black Mitsubishi Evolution XIIII with golden flames running down its side. I shook my head, happy that someone had come to preoccupy my mind from Zane for a while and turned down the music so I could get the full effect of the engine revving out louder than an Enzo Ferrari. I looked at the driver of the Evo XIV through his non-tinted windows as I rolled down the passenger window before flashing him a large smile and revving the engine louder, waiting to unleash the beast that was my car against the Evo. Before the light turned green, I pulled out my phone and took a quick picture of the guy's face and his car, wanting to look him up after my feeding session. I let the Evo get the lead, knowing that this stretch of highway had been getting watched more and more by cops lately.

I coasted down the highway at sixty-five and looked up into the rear-view mirror with a smile on my face as the flashing lights from a police car appeared behind me. I switched into a different lane and let the cop pass, knowing exactly who he was going after. I drove past the pulled over Evo and revved the engine once before gunning it down the highway, laughing all the way to Olympia.

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I pulled into the Hilton parking garage about thirty minutes later, grinding my teeth together to ignore the thirst I'd given myself. I shut off the engine and sat in the car, trying to keep my thirst under control. I tried to lift my hand to unlock the door and open it, but I was afraid that if I went outside in my current state, I would get overtaken by my thirst. As I sat in the darkness of my car, I remembered the first time I lost control and went on a rampage. I shuddered at the memory, reliving the terrified screams and cracking bones from the people I had killed that night with each new breath I took in. I forced myself to calm down and opened the door, almost immediately assaulted by the scent of the blood of everyone in the parking garage. I fought against the urge to attack them and walked over to the hotel entrance, wondering if I really should go through with this. I stopped at the sliding glass doors and decided against it, knowing that I could lose control a lot easier in an enclosed space than out in the open.

I walked back over to my car and put the key in the lock, a smile spreading over my face as I smelled someone right behind me.

"That's a nice car you have, lady. You wouldn't mind giving it to a better cause, would you?"

I turned around and looked at the three teenagers standing in front of me, wondering if they were worth the effort. I laughed in the leader's face and started to turn around to get in my car when he grabbed my arm and turned me back around to face his lust-filled gaze.

"I don't think you heard me, lady."

I looked down at his hand closed tightly around my forearm and shook my head.

"I really don't think that you want to mess with me right now, kid. If you want to keep that hand, you're going to have to let go." I said as I looked back at the leader, my blood thirst rising to near dangerous levels.

"I don't think you know who you're messing with, bitch. I think we might need a look at that body of yours, huh guys?"

I heard their murmurs of agreement and sighed as I shook my head and waited for him to reach for my jacket sleeve before I grabbed his wrist, breaking about half the bones in his hand with my grip. I pressed a little harder and brought the crying teenager to his knees, begging me to let go of his hand. I twisted once more before letting his hand go, laughing as he writhed in pain on the ground. I glanced over at the other two and was surprised to see that they had stayed to help their friend.

"So, do you guys want to try and take my keys from me?" I asked in a calm voice, keeping my blood thirst under control.

The other two boys shook their heads and ran as fast as they could away from me, leaving their so called 'leader' at my mercy.

I was in a merciful mood, despite my want to drink the kid's blood, so I unlocked my car door and sat down on the seat looking down at the crying kid with my chin in my hand, a bored expression on my face.

"So, what should I do with you?" I said, drawing out the words in a lazy way, giving him time to beg me not to hurt him. I shook my head and reached over to my CD player to turn on some Muse to drown him out.

"You're lucky I'm in a generous mood or else you wouldn't have walked away with just a broken hand. Go home and get your hand on ice. Hope it heals right. Goodbye." I said as I pulled my legs back into the car and shut the door, creating a soundproof barrier between me and the still crying teenager. I pushed the key into the ignition and turned the engine on before looking back at the kid on the ground, still clutching his hand as if he couldn't believe that I had been able to do that to him. I rolled my eyes to the roof of my car and drove off, not giving the would-be-rapist another glance, his cries of pain getting added to those I've caused over my eternal lifetime.

**A/N: **Remember, Dawn Clearsh and Zane Tylers are my characters, so please don't take them without asking. Review. REVIEEEEEEWWWWWWW!!


	4. Chapter 3: On the Brink

Here's Chapter 3 for the world to see

Here's Chapter 3 for the world to see. I would love it if all of you fellow fans of the Twilight Saga got your butts over here and read Rising Star already, but I'll be patient. So, same deal as with the first two chapters, review when done reading and enjoy.

I had been driving for what seemed like hours, but that was just my thirst making time drag along so slowly.

"_Why must you torture yourself in this way, Dawn? Just satiate your thirst on a human. It won't take more than a few seconds. Just take a drunk to a dark alley and drink him dry. You'd be doing the world a favor by taking his life. Besides, what's one human life for sustaining another?" _

I shook the disturbing thought from my head, not wanting to start talking to myself in the state I was in. I continued to drive until I heard the beep of the gas gauge, meaning that I had enough gas for a little more than thirty miles. I sighed and eased up on the gas pedal, dropping my speed down to below seventy-five. I continued to coast like this until I saw the Olympic mountain range to my right, outlined by the pink and purple skyline that was associated with a sunrise. I let out a sigh of relief and turned off at the next exit, hoping that I could hold off on my thirst a little while longer.

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I continued to drive until I found a ranger station/tourist information depot and parked in the most remote and secluded part of the parking lot, not wanting anyone to see me leave. I took one more look at my almost pitch-black eyes in the rearview, but only saw the bright blood red eyes of my past self staring back at me with a bloodlust that frightened me to remember. I looked away from the mirror and got out of my car, the cold mountain air feeling good against my cold skin. I inhaled deeply, getting the scent of a pride of mountain lions about a few miles downwind from where I was. I walked around to the passenger side of my car and coiled into a crouch, feeling the bloodthirsty part of my brain screaming bloody murder it was so happy that it finally got to be satisfied. I pushed off into a sprint, narrowly avoiding trees and the like so I could get the drop on my prey. It only took me about twenty minutes to cover the distance and hide in a tree to survey the area where the mountain lions where sleeping.

"_Is this what you want to be doing for eternity, Dawn? Sneaking around in the forest for your meals? You could do much more than this with a city as big as Seattle so close by. A death here and there wouldn't be a big deal, would it? You know that this isn't what Lamount created you for."_

I tried to block out the voice in my head and focus on the task at hand, feeling appalled with myself for even letting these thoughts creep into my mind. I dropped down out of the tree and landed silently in a crouch, keeping as quiet as I possibly could so I could drink my fill and get this stupid voice out of my head. I crept over to the nearest lioness and crouched down next to her, the smell that was coming off of her intoxicating to me right now.

"_But not as intoxicating as Zane's blood."_

I put that thought away in the back of my head for later and concentrated on the task at hand. I lowered my head to her neck and bit my fangs into her carefully, trying not to wake her up so she could alert the others. Feeling the warm, sticky fluid trickle down my throat as I began to drink made me happy, content with the fact that I wasn't a danger to anyone around me for the time being. When I had drunk my fill and was my usual, golden eyed self, I straightened up and wiped some of the blood off of my lips and flicked it off into the underbrush. I started to walk away when I heard the rest of the pride start to wake up and decided that it was time to leave. I sprinted back to the ranger station without making much noise and was standing next to my car in half the time it took to get to the pride mountain lions, my now liquid golden eyes reflecting the happy feeling I felt. Now that I knew that I could get on with this weekend without many other problems, nothing could dampen my good spirits. Then I remembered why I hadn't gone home in the first place. I groaned as I slapped myself on the forehead when I remembered about Alice.

"I can't believe I forgot about Alice. When I get home, she's gonna have a ball with this Zane thing. Great." I thought aloud as I walked back around to the driver side of my car. I unlocked the door and shut it behind me as I got in, casting me into the comforting semi-darkness again. I put the key into the ignition and started up the engine, listening to its soothing roar, as if it new I was troubled by something. I smiled at the thought and drove out of the parking lot, bracing myself for whatever Alice had in store for me when I got back home.

A/N: Remember, Dawn Clearsh and Zane Tylers are my characters, so please don't take them without asking. Review. REVIEEEEEEWWWWWWW!!


	5. Chapter 4: Relationship

I stopped over at Bella's house for awhile, trying to find any reason not to go home and face Alice

Here's Chapter 4 for the world to see. I would love it if all of you fellow fans of the Twilight Saga got your butts over here and read Rising Star already, but I'll be patient. So, same deal as with the first three chapters, review when done reading and enjoy.

I stopped over at Bella's house for awhile, trying to find any reason not to go home and face Alice. I parked in front of her house and noticed that Bella's clunker of a truck was there in the driveway, along with Zane's blue 350Z. I wasn't at all surprised that Bella's old truck was still in Charlie's driveway, but the fact that Zane was here caused my curiosity to peak at why he was actually here. I cut off the engine and got out of my car, leaving my jacket because I didn't feel cold in the summer heat. Besides, it would look weird to wear a black silk haori in eighty degree weather anyway. I locked the car up and walked over to the front door instead of using the open window into Bella's old room, not wanting to freak out Charlie and Zane when I walked down the stairs, coming out of nowhere. I sighed and knocked on the door, waiting for someone to come and get the door. I didn't have to wait long for Charlie to open the door and look me over, probably wondering who I was.

"Hey Charlie! I haven't seen you since Bella's wedding. How've you been?"

I already knew the answer to that question but wanted to ask it anyway, knowing that Bella had sort of let him in on our secret while still keeping him out of danger. Charlie stared at me for a second before remembering where he'd seen me at the wedding.

"Hi, Dawn, you look…nice. I've been better though, but thanks for asking. I think I caught a summer cold. Jacob tells me your living with the Cullen's now?"

"Thanks for the compliment, Charlie. Yeah, I am. It was very thoughtful of Carlisle to offer me a place to stay until I could find a place of my own."

I heard Nessie's voice ring out from the living room, closely followed by Jacob's hearty laugh.

"Oh, come on Jacob. I want to talk to him at least."

"Okay, Nessie. You can talk to him, but no touching his face. Promise?"

"Promise."

I walked past Charlie and found Jacob lying across the entire couch in the living room with Nessie sitting next to Zane on the floor beside Jacob's feet. He looked up when he heard me walk into the room and flashed me a quick smile before continuing his conversation with Zane and Nessie. I sat across from Nessie and gave her a big smile before looking at Zane with a questioning look.

"So, what're you doing here, Zane? I didn't know you knew Bella or her dad for that matter."

Zane looked over at me while fishing his wallet from his pocket. He flipped it open and I saw a picture of him and Bella on a pier with the sunset at their backs and laughing at something.

"I knew her back in Phoenix. We grew up together and I kinda had a crush on her throughout high school. Guess I didn't get to her fast enough."

I stared at the picture of the two of them and felt sorry for him.

"Is that why you came here? To see her again and rekindle your friendship?"

He nodded his head and put his wallet back into his pocket, a sad smile creasing his face as he looked at Nessie.

"That's all I can hope for now, seeing as Nessie is her daughter. If only I had told her about my feelings for her before she moved away, maybe things could've ended differently."

I felt really bad for him, knowing that the one girl he probably would ever have feeling for left him behind and got married without him even being at the ceremony to witness her happiest moment.

"Wait a second, how did you know that Nessie was Bells' daughter?" Jacob interjected, messing up my train of thought with his surprised tone.

"Well, she has the same milk chocolate brown eyes that she does and I highly doubt that anyone else in the entire world could have those same colored eyes unless she gave birth to them." Zane said sadly with a smile in Nessie's direction.

I barely noticed when Charlie joined us in the living room, taking the easy chair in the corner, an uneasy look on his face as he sneezed into a napkin he had gotten from the kitchen. I turned my head to look over at him and saw Alice standing in the entryway, a grin lighting up her face as she saw me.

"Hey Dawn, haven't seen you since Friday. Where've you been?"

"You know exactly where I've been, Alice. I spent the night in Olympia so I could pamper myself silly before I had to go back to summer school on Monday."

Alice took a seat next to me and looked over at Zane, her grin growing bigger by the second.

"So, who's this, Dawn, your boyfriend?"

I groaned internally as I knew where this conversation was going and hoped that someone would help me out.

"My names Zane and I'm not Dawn's boyfriend. I've only met her once and besides, I doubt she likes me like that anyway."

If I was still able to blush, I would be blushing slightly to prove him wrong.

Alice knew that he was wrong about that, thanks to her gift of sight. Thankfully, I was saved from further embarrassment when Zane's cell phone rang.

He pulled it out of his pocket and got up from where he was sitting to walk outside to take his call, meaning that it was supposed to be private. Thanks to my enhanced hearing, though, I heard everything that he said.

"Hey Dad, how's mom doing? Did the test results come back yet?" There was a long pause with the occasional sigh mixed in before Zane started talking again, his voice a bit angrier now. "I'll tell her you send your regards, _Dad_. Just promise me that you'll come see her soon." His voice started to crack as his mood changed to one of desperation. "She's wasting away without you here and I couldn't handle watching her die on my own, Dad. I just couldn't do it. Please tell me that you're going visit her tonight. It would probably make her condition better with you there by her side." Another pause followed his pleading. With every passing second, his breath started to come out as a hiss as it flowed through his teeth. "Could you care about something other than your job for one night to visit your dying wife, James!? My mom, your wife, is dying from an incurable disease and all you can care about is how much money your company's making? I can't believe I ever used to look up to you for guidance! Fine, if you won't take care of your family, I will!"

I could imagine the hate filled tears that were welling up in his eyes when he hung up and I was sure that Alice, Nessie, and Jacob were thinking the same thing that I was.

"Do you think one of us should go out there and comfort him?"

I looked around at the three pairs of eyes staring expectedly at me and sighed.

"Fine, I'll do it. Alice, if you have any visions about my future after this, be kind enough to keep them to yourself."

Alice nodded her head understandingly as I got up and walked over to the front door, listening to Zane's quiet sobs come through the crack at the bottom of the door.

"If you two get married, can I plan your wedding?"

Nessie giggled at Alice's comment and chimed in with her bell like voice, "If Alice is planning it, then can I be your maid of honor? I've always wanted to be in a wedding."

I ignored their poking fun at me and took an unnecessary breath to ready myself before opening the door quietly, trying not to draw attention to myself. I sat down next to him and put a marble hand on his shoulder, happy that he was still wearing his jacket before closing the door with my other hand.

"Is everything alright, Zane?"

He wiped his eyes on his jacket sleeve and looked up at the sky, a light scowl on his face.

"My family's coming apart, Dawn. My dad's just stopped caring altogether about my mom and me. It wouldn't surprise me if he left me to flounder after my mom died."

I wanted to comfort him in someway, but I didn't know what he was going through. I took my hand from his shoulder and placed it on my lap along with my other hand, trying to think up something to say to him.

"I know I'll never be able to understand what you're going through or how you feel, but all I can offer is the shoulder of a friend to lean on for support."

Zane looked over at me shook his head with a bemused laugh before picking up his phone from off of the ground, brushing off the dirt that had gotten on it when he had thrown it down after he had hung up. He slipped it back into his pocket and looked at my Skyline glinting in the noon day sun.

"What did you do to get a car like that, Dawn? I've only seen one in magazines."

I noticed the wonder in his eyes and smiled genuinely, happy that someone finally asked her that rather than if they could drive it themselves.

"I got it from a friend in Japan. He sent it to me as a belated eighteenth birthday gift. I've done as much as I could've done to it in the last few months."

"Nice." Zane said in awe as he continued to look at my car as if he had never seen a car before. "Do you think my mom can pull through, Dawn? I mean, nothing against Doctor Cullen, but cancer is an incurable disease. The best I can hope for is at least a few more years with her before she dies. I don't want to be there at her death bed alone, the only family that actually cared about her."

I watched as he finally broke down and cried into his hands, the pent up grief he had been holding in for his mom coming out as broken sobs. It finally dawned on me that Bella was the only anchor he could've had in his life back in Phoenix and when she left; his life went down into a grief spiral. That's why he transferred to Forks High. He also probably heard about Carlisle when he looked up doctors to help his mom so that would be a reasonable excuse for anyone else, but for me, I kinda felt creeped out by his level of commitment to someone who was already in a serious relationship with a vampire.

"Uhh, Zane….. I don't know how to tell you this, but Bella's already with someone at the moment; married in fact. She'd be happy to see you again, maybe even thrilled, but you probably wouldn't recognize her at first. She's happy with Edward and he's happy with her, trust me, I know that first hand. Please don't do anything that you would regret later. You could still have a great friendship with her and her _husband_, just focus on your mom for the time being. When she pulls through, then you can look Bella up."

I was about to stand up to go back in the house when Zane's hand found its way in between one of mine, intertwining his fingers with mine with a slight tug. I looked down at him with a confused look and sat back down next to him, wondering why he had his hand entwined with mine this way.

"Could you stay here with me for a while, Dawn? I need someone to talk to."

I bit my lower lip and looked away at Bella's truck, knowing that this was going somewhere that would get me a lot of grief from Alice later.

"I guess I could stay for a little while." I tried to take my hand from around his, but the sound of his voice made me leave it the way it was.

"I can't believe Bella got married. What was it like to see the ceremony, Dawn? I bet it was pretty low key, knowing Bella."

I saw the pained smile that crept its way across his face as he wiped his tears away with his other sleeve.

"Well, the wedding was pretty fancy. The design itself went to her new sister-in-law Alice, but she enjoyed herself. We all enjoyed a day of normalcy for once, meeting with old friends and making new ones. The ceremony itself was pretty normal for the person who planned the entire thing." I heard a snicker of agreement come from within the house and knew I had made Alice happy.

"But what about her husband, Edward? What's he like?"

I knew he was going to get around to asking that question sooner or later, so I decided just to tell him the truth about him and hoped that Zane realized that Bella was happy with her decision.

"Edward is… well, he's unbelievable. He's a gentleman who has nothing but the best interest for his family at heart. He would never purposefully put them or anyone else in danger if he could avoid it. He loves her undyingly and would go to the ends of the earth to save both Bella and Nessie. I know that sounds to good to be true, but it isn't. Edward is one of the greatest friends I've had the pleasure making and nothing would ever change my friendship with him."

I waited for Zane to say something and when he didn't, I gently pulled my hand from his, wondering if I gave him too much to think about.

"Dawn?" Zane asked in a quiet voice, looking back at me with the same pained smile on his face while his eyes sparkled with understanding. "Thanks for telling me everything. I'm grateful to have met someone like you."

I bit my bottom lip again, listening to the quiet snickers coming from Alice and Jacob, probably overhearing the entire conversation.

"Your welcome, Zane. I just thought that you needed to know what Bella had done with herself while she was here."

I watched the clouds pass overhead and gently placed my hand on top of his, barely feeling the warmth radiating off of it.

Zane looked at the way my hand was on top of his and smiled warmly, probably thinking the same thing I was.

"Do you think that.. if we went out, we could work out together?"

I mulled the thought over in my head and felt uncertain at how this would work out, but something made me believe that we could have a relationship together.

"I think we could."

I gave him a slight kiss on the cheek and leaned my head against his shoulder, the uneasy feeling in my stomach gradually going away the longer I spent with him. This was going to be a great existence with him now, and I hoped that I could keep myself from killing him.

A/N: Remember, Dawn Clearsh and Zane Tylers are my characters, so please don't take them without asking. Review. REVIEEEEEEWWWWWWW!!


	6. Chapter 5: Family Reunion

Sorry for not posting another chapter any sooner, but I've been swamped with schoolwork and fighting off inevitable writer's block on all of my stories: posted or otherwise. So enjoy the fifth chapter of Rising Star and if you want to post a character for me to add (seeing as my creativity is being used up for Infected in the O.C. department), just send me a PM with your character's bio and I'll fit them in somehow. God bless and Good Luck.

"ARGGHHH!!!! Why did I say that to him?" I groaned as I walked into the Cullen's house. The conversation between Zane and I kept running back through my mind, driving me insane with what I had done. _I am now officially the dumbest vampire in the world. _I thought angrily as I sat down hard on the sofa, oblivious to anyone else in the room. I heard Emmett snicker from upstairs and put my face down in my hands, my burgundy colored hair spilling around me and covering my face from view. I knew Edward would instantly know what's going on with me, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be left alone. I looked up to see Esme walk into the room and sat up straight when I heard Jasper's voice from the other room. I instantly felt a wave of calm envelope me, but I didn't need to be calm that way, so I got up and sprinted out the back door. I headed for the river and leapt over it in an easy stride, taking off as fast as I could for the La Push border line. _Someone over there would probably love to get in a fight._ I thought wryly as I blurred past the trees, the smells of different hunting trails entering my nostrils with each breath I took. As I got closer to the border though, my pace slowed until I was walking through the forest, my feet dragging against the soil while my head was bent against the slight wind. I stopped and sat down against a tree with my head in my hands again, the weight of what'd I said to Zane finally coming down on me.

"How could I be so stupid? What would make me think that I could have a healthy relationship with him after only what, the two times I've seen him? Even if I could do that, I'd have to tell him eventually about what I am and I don't want to have the Volturi breathing down my neck again." I muttered as I felt a fat raindrop hit my head, making me wonder if the weather was playing off of my mood. My clothes were drenched in a matter of seconds as the rain came pouring down and I was more irritable than when I'd come this far in the first place. I heard a strained whine from somewhere nearby and looked up to see a massive, tan furred wolf standing in the fringe of the trees infront of me. I looked into his eyes and sighed as I beckoned him over, needing a friend right now more than anything. The wolf quickly loped over to my side and lay down beside me, the sound of his heartbeat warming my non-existent one slightly. I pet his fur down absentmindedly and leaned my head against the trunk. I reached my conscious out to his and picked up on Seth's thoughts immediately. _Hey Seth, how's it been?_

_Not to bad, but it could be worse. How're things with you?_Seth asked, his mental voice a rich timber in my head. I took a deep breath, inhaling the smell that was coming off of him and told him of what I'd been doing for the past week and a half. I told him about how I'd been forced to go to summer school and my feelings for Zane, but when I thought about him, I cringed at the thought of ever having to tell him about me being a vampire. Seth sat there patiently during the entire rant, and he added his own input every now and then, but kept silent until I was finished. _Never thought you'd be the only other exception besides Edward to fall for a human. Man, you are the stupidest vampire in the world._Seth teased with a throaty chuckle. _Yeah, you're probably right. I don't know what to do about it, though. I mean, if I do tell him, then I'm putting him in danger from the Volturi and I couldn't bear to live through that. On the other hand, I could just leave it as is and cut him off, stay away from him and give him the cold shoulder until I can find a college that he couldn't get into and leave for good. _I thought sadly as a picture without the friends I'd made here appeared in my head. I knew that wasn't the best choice, but it was better than the alternative of making him into a vampire just to keep my butt out of the fire.

_That sounds pretty drastic, Dawn. If you feel that strongly about it, ask Carlisle or Edward or anyone whose in love and has felt these strange feelings before. It's not like you can just disappear into the night like a ghost, you've got people here who care about you and like your company. I, for one, like hanging out with you because you're not serious all the time and you're funny. If it weren't for the whole vampire werewolf thing, I'd definitely want to go out on a date with you. But, seeing as I'm bound by the stupid imprinting rule that basically erases all emotional ties that have anything to do with love or romantic affection towards someone other than my soul mate once I meet her, my dating life is probably not going to end well. _Seth thought as he looked up at me with his big, brown eyes. I smiled slightly at what he said and went back to rubbing his fur, the feel soft beneath my stone like fingers. _Thanks, Seth, I needed that. _I thought back as I looked up at the rain heavy clouds, their dark gray mass looking like lumpy pillows. I continued looking at the clouds before what he'd said caught up with me. _Seth… did you say you'd go out on a date with me? I didn't know that you felt that way about me. _I thought bemusedly with a chuckle.

_I-I didn't say it like that exactly… but what I was saying was that given the chance, I would want to go on a date with you. _Seth thought back hurriedly, his nervous tone making me laugh. _So it is true then. And here I thought you were holding out for that special girl of your dreams, not an old woman in an eighteen year-olds body. _I thought with a giggle as he growled at me. I felt flattered that he felt that way about me, but I didn't want to make him waste his time on someone who, in the end, would out live him and have to watch him die. I didn't want that for one of my closest friends and I wasn't going to let that happen.

_You know, it's not nice to laugh at someone's feelings, Dawn. What would you do if I told everyone that you had feelings for Zane and you didn't want them to find out, Hmmmm? _Seth threatened idly as he looked into the forest. I shrugged my shoulders and rubbed along his spine gently with the tips of my fingernails, making him growl pleasurably. _I'd probably stop doing that, for starters. And then I'd continually make your life a living hell until you begged me for forgiveness. But that's what the old me what've done. The new me, on the other hand, would let it go and let you deal with the guilt and jealousy that would be building up inside of you because you aren't the one I have feelings for. _That _would be much worse a punishment, wouldn't you say, Seth? _I asked with a smile as I looked with him. He snorted and shook his shaggy head at my answer. I laughed and leaned my head against his shoulder, wishing I was human so that I could enjoy the warmth his body was giving off, instead of this cold, un-aging rock imitation of a person.

_Do you regret it?_ Seth asked, his chest rumbling with each breath he took. _Do I regret what?_ I asked back, wondering if he'd heard what I was thinking. _Do you regret being a vampire? I know it wasn't a choice for you, but do you still wish that you were human? _He asked in more detail, a mental picture of what he assumed I'd looked like as a human forming in his head. I stared at the girl wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater with slightly brighter red hair and the rose hued cheeks that I would have if I were blushing and nodded my head against his fur.

_I always have that little nagging wonder in the back of my head asking if my life is better off as a vampire. Sometimes I believe that, but others…_ I trailed off as I thought about my brother and having to force him into this lifestyle as well. The memory made me shudder as I remembered how James was like in the first few months. I sighed and listened to the dull roar of the rain as it hit the trees, the sound oddly quiet compared to Seth's heartbeat. _If it came right down to it, I guess I'd have to say I don't regret being a vampire most of the time while the other quarter is spent wondering what my life would've been like if I were still human. Sleeping, dreaming, actually being able to pursue fulfilling relationships that I knew could last without ending in bloodshed; these are the things that I wish I could still do, but that part of my life has been taken from me and I've come to terms with that. I doubt that's how you feel, Seth, but you still have a full life ahead of you. _

_Guess that means we're stuck together, huh? _Seth mused with another chuckle. I nodded and got up from where I was sitting, stretching my hands above my head unnecessarily before poking him on his shaggy head. _Seems like it, mister Clearwater. So, wanna play tag? I was heading-_ Seth cut me off in mid-thought when he pounced from the spot he'd been lying down on and kept my arms pinned with his paws. He touched his nose to my forehead before taking off through the forest in the direction of the Cullen's house. I easily jumped to my feet and took off after him, feeling my anger dissipate with each stride. _I'll catch you, Seth!_ I called after him mentally as I darted through the forest after my friend, grinning from ear to ear.

Running isn't something that you do consciously. When your body senses your need to get somewhere fast, it speeds up, producing more adrenaline to keep it going for longer periods of time. For a vampire, that rule still applies, but the venom coursing through our bodies keeps all of the functions that would entice adrenaline to be created from ever happening. Because of this, in theory, we can run indefinitely; covering massive distances in no time at all. It gets really easy to forget that little facet of your existence when you're having fun or in the middle of a hunt, but eventually the high that the hunt had given you starts to ebb away until you realize that you've run through a few states. I know this from first hand experience, but a few millennia of practice have taught me otherwise.

I caught up with Seth just on the edge of the meadow where I'd seen Edward and the others play in and tagged him lightly before darting to the middle of the field, laughing quietly as I twirled around in a complicated routine that I'd learned a few decades back. The frills of my haori splayed out around me as I spun, flicking rain out in all directions while my hair blew out around my face. I heard Seth laughing in his head, but ignored it as I finished off my dance with an elegant bow. I looked up and saw Seth standing in his human form, his hair a little longer than it used to be while I averted my gaze from him as he pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top he'd pulled from somewhere.

"You can look back now, Dawn, I'm decent." He called out as he loped over to me. I grinned and looked back at him before putting a hand over my eyes in mock horror. "Oh no, please, don't show me your true form. Anything but that; my eyes may melt if I so much as even glance in your direction." I cried out dramatically as I swayed on my feet and turned away from him, giggling as I let my fingers split to see Seth standing in front of me with his arms crossed loosely over his chest. I let my hand fall from over my eyes and clasped them behind my back as I looked up at him, smiling widely at the plastered hair covering his forehead. "How come you phased? I thought you enjoyed running around like a wolf; gives you an even playing field in games of tag if you ask me." I said with a grin. He just rolled his eyes and laughed, his body bowing back slightly as he did. I wanted to join in with him, but a slight rustling in the bushes at the end of the field caught my attention. I didn't know what to make of it, the heavy rain making it hard to see anything, but I could here someone walking their way over to us. I slightly tensed my body against any fight this might turn into while I continued to look at Seth, keeping a smile on my face so as to not alarm him.

_Hello, Dawn. It's nice to see my big sister again after all this time of separation. I was beginning to wonder if you even cared for me any more. But alas, as is the way of the older sibling. _My brother thought to me nonchalantly, his voice intruding into my mind with a large amount of strength. I cringed internally and took a quick look around before finding him standing on the outer edge of the field, a smirk on his face while he leaned easily against the trunk of a tree. He was wearing a pair of jeans with tears in them around the knees and along the legs while he had a short sleeve button down shirt that was open halfway to show off his chiseled chest. I looked at his face and scowled at his excited looking crimson eyes, partially covered by his sand blonde hair. _What're you doing here, James? The Volturi let you out of your cage to come check up on me?_ I asked heatedly, keeping my temper in check while I looked back at Seth and saw the worried look on his face.

_Oh it's nothing like that, sister. I just wanted to come see what all the fuss was about with this 'vegetarian' lifestyle you've chosen. It seems the lack of human blood hasn't diminished your senses in the slightest. _James mused as he slid his eyes over from me to Seth and back again. I was glad he was upwind of us, or else this could've gotten bad. Seth stiffened a little and turned his head in James's direction, the tips of his fingers vibrating from the instinctual want to destroy a foreign vampire that posed any sort of threat. "No, Seth. Just go back to the house and tell Carlisle that an unexpected 'guest' arrived to preoccupy my time. He'll know what it means." I cautioned with a touch of my fingers to his, the heat coming off of his body would have scalded them if I had been human. He looked about to argue, but I cupped my hands to his cheeks and forced him to look into my eyes, keeping a slight smile on my face while I stared at him. "I'll be fine, Seth. It's just my brother and even if it comes down to a fight, I'm a much better fighter than he is, so don't worry. Just do this one thing for me and we can go back to hanging out." I told him, making sure he understood. He nodded his head and waited for me to let go of his face before shooting a glance over at James and running off in the opposite direction, his arms quivering fiercely. When I was sure he was for enough away that I couldn't hear his footfalls or paw steps, I let my smile vanish behind an angry snarl and stared him down as he made his way over to I was in a calm fashion, smiling at me as if this were a happy reunion.

"My, my, aren't we in an angry mood? To think, it was only thirty years ago we saw each other last, Dawn. How the years seem to fly by…" He trailed off as he stepped infront of me, his hands in his pockets as he looked me over. It was true that I was angry, but for not the reason that he thought. I was angry because Aro didn't like the fact that he had lost someone like me from his precious guard and had sent my brother just to check up on me. He caressed my cheek with the back of his warm hand and I clenched my jaw against feel of it against my skin, hissing quietly through my teeth.

"Pull your hand back if you want to keep it, brother. I wouldn't want to send Aro's precious James back a limb short." I threatened heavily with a snarl. James laughed and curled a finger to trace the line of my cheek before pulling his hand away from my face, a subdued look of affection in his now soft eyes. "I've missed you, Dawn. I haven't been able to come out of that damned city for over eighty years and this is the only opportunity I get to see you again. I don't like being alone like this, having to keep my thoughts from straying so that they won't enter other people's minds, being constantly careful not to inadvertently intrude on someone else's thoughts. I miss what we used to have_; the ease of being able to talk in complete privacy without anyone else being able to encroach on our conversations brought me happiness. It comforted me that no matter what, we'd always have a connection that was unique in every way possible and we'd be able to stay together for eternity. _But when you left after…" He trailed off after he saw the pained expression on my face. I knew he'd felt that way from the very beginning, and I knew what he went through on a daily basis. It was hard to keep the instinct to console him at bay because I knew why I had to leave him and the Volturi behind in the first place.

"I'm sorry James. I know you want me to come back, but I can't. As long as Aro lives and plots behind the walls of Volterra, I will not be under the same roof as that murderous backstabber." I replied softly as I gave him a hug, letting my cheek rest against his stony chest. He sighed in defeat and hugged me back as he let his head rest atop mine. I let go of him after a few minutes and stood on the tips of my toes to give him a soft kiss on the cheek before he let me go. We stared into each other's eyes for a second before he turned and took off back through the forest, not giving me a second glance. I turned and walked sluggishly back to the house, crying on the inside at the pain I was putting my brother through. _Why must I hurt everyone I love?_


	7. Chapter 6: Dead Inside

I trudged slowly through the forest, my feet dragging against the dirt as I tried to keep myself from getting where I wanted to. I was barely aware of my surroundings and almost ran into a tree a couple of times, but I couldn't bring myself to look ahead. I stumbled aimlessly through the forest, trying to forget the look of anguish on James's face when he left, and found myself nearing the Olympic Mountains. I'd been walking for so long that I hadn't realized were I was going and forgot that it was raining. I looked up at the sky and noticed that the sky had cleared up the closer I got to the mountain range, the star speckled space above me shining down like trillions of diamonds. I looked back at the ground and continued on my way, not wanting to know where I was going nor really caring at this point. I found a nice cave to sit in after a few more miles of hiking and went as deep into it as I could before sitting against the wall and pulling my knees to my chin. I locked my hands infront of my shins and sobbed quietly in my dark hole in the wall, wishing that this wasn't the life that I was condemned to live.

_**What life? This is more like a torturous existence. Everyone I know is hurt just by my presence in their lives and it tears me apart to see them in pain. **_I thought sadly as I sobbed into my knees, longing to feel tears running down my cheeks or at least feel the pain from the hike it took to get up here. I was a monster and I shouldn't be allowed around others who can get hurt just from knowing me. I slid against the wall until I was lying on my side in a ball on the floor and let the ocean of guilt and sorrow crash over me, drowning me in all the pain I've wrought over the millennia of existence I've lived.

I'm sorry for the long delay on Rising Star, but I had other things I needed to get out of the way before I brought my attention back to the Twilight universe.

As a good friend of mine made so abundantly clear, I'm going to start talking about Dawn's past more. Give her a little back-story so you understand why she feels the way she does. I also chose to use such a short chapter to lead up to her past because I think it sets the mood for such a narrative.

Well, I hope you enjoy this story and the others I have written in the times to come. Till next time, Infected Vulpine.


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